Where Dwell the Brave at Heart
by kittykittyhunter
Summary: Once upon a time there were four courageous Gryffindors: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.
1. Sickness

**WHERE DWELL THE BRAVE AT HEART**

_~ kittykittyhunter ~_

**…**

Chapter One

**Sickness**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure..."<strong>_

_**...  
><strong>_

A small boy with a head of light brown hair hoisted himself onto his windowsill, quietly prising open the bedroom window. He leaned out into the spring evening. It was drenched with the scent of fresh rain, singing with crickets. He could hear the discussion floating up from the kitchen. His parents were in the middle of a rare argument – no, he realised with a start, they were _panicking_.

"He's shown signs of magical potential." That was his father, John – Remus imagined the wizard pacing across the clean floor, hands folded behind his back. "This is my fault – we'll take him to St Mungo's tomorrow –"

"For the fifth time?" The boy heard the weariness in his mother's tone; she was probably propped at the table, wringing her hands as she watched her anxious husband. "He's sick of having his hopes raised – not again, dear, please..."

"I wanted," said his father heavily, "for him to go to Hogwarts..."

The boy closed the window as quietly as possible and slid back to the ground. He wondered whether this was what his life would be like from now on: secluded, locked away from everyone else…

He walked towards his bed, feet barely sounding on the carpet. He lay flat on top of the plain duvet and stared at the ceiling. Occasionally, the voices downstairs grew louder – but then they fell.

Remus Lupin raised his right hand, studying his thumb and fingers.

He wasn't going to Hogwarts.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts, the castle his father had always told him stories about – the school the boy had dreamed of attending, because he was a wizard.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Flattening his hand by his side, he tangled the cloth in his small grip, seizing it, as though he could squeeze out all of his disappointment, all of his lowliness.

He was a werewolf.

He was a monster.

He did not have the energy to cry.

* * *

><p>It's about time I started posting this fic. As you know from the summary, this is a story about the four Marauders. The chapter lengths will be extremely random, short or long depending on the content, and I'm not entirely sure how frequently I'll be able to update. I'll do my best.<p>

Each chapter will begin with a quote from one of the Marauders.


	2. Marking a Different Path

Chapter Two

**Marking a Different Path**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"<strong>_

_**...  
><strong>_

"Black, Sirius!"

Sirius Black casually strolled across the cool Great Hall, walking with such confidence that even the older students were impressed by the first year. He knew that he was being watched expectantly, especially by one table – but he pushed aside the thought. He lifted the ratty Sorting Hat and fell elegantly onto the stool. Then he dropped the hat on his head. It slid over his eyes.

"Hmm..." mused the hat. "Another Black, eh? Well, there's no question about where _you_ belong…"

"Put me in Gryffindor," thought Sirius simply. He had made the decision while rowing across across to the ceremony: it was an easy, almost obvious, solution. Gryffindor seemed like a laugh – some of the kids on the Hogwarts Express had been hoping to enter the House. Sirius wasn't exactly a bookworm, so that ruled out Ravenclaw, and he knew he wasn't kind enough to be in Hufflepuff. By default, that left Gryffindor.

Because the last thing he wanted was to join the Slytherins. The Giant Squid looked nicer, and would probably be better company.

"Are you sure?" asked the hat. "That's centuries of tradition you're willing to throw away… but you certainly have a lot of courage, even if it's on the _rebellious_ side…"

Sirius gave a mental nod, and imagined the hat replying with an internal shrug.

It bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!" The boy removed the hat with a smile that rolled into a smirk. Then he strolled along to the Gryffindor table. His seniors were applauding loudly. He thought he caught a few scowls in his peripheral vision, but ignored the heavy looks; _finally_, he was free...

Once he was seated, Sirius glanced back at the line of waiting students. He caught James Potter's eye. Simultaneously, the pair grinned.

* * *

><p>I followed the last short chapter with... another short chapter.<p>

The quote from Chapter 1 comes from Remus, in Book 3. Chapter 2's quote is from Sirius, in Book 7.


	3. Ideas

Chapter Three

**Ideas**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>My three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month..."<strong>_

**…**

"WAIT –"

But Sirius was too late. James had already crossed the courtyard – and thrown his fist across Remus' jaw.

Remus staggered. He turned with hollow eyes, raising one hand to his face. Scars and scratches circled his fingers. "Yes?" he asked quietly.

"Aren't you going to apologise?"

Remus frowned. "What for?"

"What do you mean 'what for'?" James' voice was rising; he swallowed hastily. "I had my first Quidditch match yesterday. My _first _match," he emphasised, "and you weren't even _there_. What's your problem? What kind of friend are you?"

Sirius had managed to join the pair, swerving around hordes of older students rushing to their classes. He was grateful that Remus had been on the receiving end of James' knuckles rather than his wand: the boy was too puny to do any real damage, but he knew a good hex. Sirius' eyes flicked from James' furious gaze to Remus' lowered one, and he said nonchalantly, "He had to go home; it was his cousin's wedding. And," Sirius shrugged, "we're missing Herbology."

"I'm sorry James," said Remus. He looked up, and his sadness made James recoil. Remus' eyes flickered, as though he was used to people flinching around him. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

"Well..." James ruffled his hair. "I shouldn't have hit you," the second year mumbled. "Just come to the next one, okay?"

Sirius snorted. "You just want him to brag about your flying skills."

James grinned, and the trio made their way to the greenhouses, where they were reprimanded for their lateness.

**...**

James and Sirius had a habit of talking to one another as though they had no listeners. It could be both an annoying and entertaining routine. James was pacing across the dormitory floor while Sirius flicked through his Transfiguration notes.

"You know," said James, "there's something odd about Remus."

"Odd?" asked Peter, but he went unheard.

"Yeah," said Sirius, shaking his head, "he _likes_ studying. Sometimes I worry he's secretly a Ravenclaw."

James paused, looking over to his friend. "You could've been in Slytherin."

"No thanks," Sirius returned, rolling his eyes. "Green doesn't suit me. Besides," he grinned maliciously, "Slytherins live in a dungeon."

"No way!" James laughed, his musings about Remus Lupin apparently forgotten. Peter had given an audible gasp at the revelation. "A _dungeon_? They actually live in a _dungeon_?"

"Must get cold in winter," said Sirius, unable to suppress a smile.

James went to his trunk and picked out a book on Quidditch. He sat on the floor, staring intently at the diagrams. He answered Peter's occasional Astronomy questions – though there was a slight trace of annoyance in the taller boy's voice.

After a while, Sirius said, "There's something weird about Remus."

James looked up incredulously – hadn't he raised this topic over twenty minutes ago? Peter glanced up from his homework, but realising that this was a conversation being conducted between two of the year's brightest students, fell back to being a silent spectator.

"I think..." Sirius trailed, drumming his fingers on his Transfiguration text, "that we should keep an eye on his disappearances. Just in case there's some sort of pattern."

James nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."

"I can help!" cried Peter suddenly. The other two started in surprise, as though they had forgotten Peter was there. The squat boy was already rifling through his belongings – after half a minute he produced a school diary, presenting it with both hands outstretched.

"I made a note," said Peter breathlessly, "at the front."

The other two exchanged a glance. "Creepy," said Sirius, "but I guess it's useful."

James opened the diary. Sirius and Peter left their work, joining James. Peter peered around James' arm while Sirius could easily read over his shoulder.

The months were arranged in tidy rectangles. Peter had circled little dates in red pen – the day that Remus went away, and the day that he came back. After a few minutes, James breathed, "This is..."

Sirius gave Peter a hard look. "You've been scribbling for three months and you didn't notice?" Peter quailed under Sirius' scowl – the taller boy turned back to James, probing, "_You_ know what this means, right?" There was almost a note of desperation to his voice: he was scared of his own paranoia.

"Of course I do," said James, tapping the diary cover. "Full moon."

Sirius nodded grimly. "Can't believe we were so stupid," he said. "All of last year – every single month – and we didn't notice."

James shook his head slowly. "Maybe we got too many detentions to realise," he said gloomily. "Why..." he glanced at Sirius. "Why didn't he tell us?

"Tell us _what_?" Peter asked urgently.

Sirius sighed and shifted his weight.

"That he's a werewolf."

**...**

After History of Magic ended on Monday afternoon, and Professor Binns glided through the board, James jerked his head, signalling to the others. He glimpsed Lily Evans (an intelligent girl with sharp green eyes and dark red hair) frowning at him; he looked away. As the classroom emptied, Sirius, Peter and Remus approached James – Remus with shining eyes, expecting news. "What is it?" he smiled. Had they come up with a new plan during his latest excursion?

Without preamble, Sirius announced, "We need to talk to you."

Peter's nose twitched.

"Okay..." said Remus slowly. He glanced at his three friends. James and Sirius were strangely sombre, and it was tickling the nape of Remus' neck. "What about?"

James sighed, hanging his head. "We know," he said, "about why you _really_ couldn't come to the match against Hufflepuff. We know why you disappear every month."

Remus froze. His shoulders tightened and he began to shudder. Then, his feet were sliding backwards. "I don't know what you're talking about –"

Sirius glowered. "We're not idiots," he said, sitting down on a desk. "We just want to know why you didn't tell us before."

"Yeah," added Peter. He hadn't heard Sirius and James discuss the topic since Saturday – he was following their lead.

"Why I didn't tell you before?" Remus was still shaking, focus darting from James to Sirius to Peter. "What – what are you going to do to me? I can't hurt any of you, I swear –"

Alarmed, James crossed the classroom. Remus stepped back instinctively – James frowned – he regretted hitting Remus. "It's okay," blurted James hastily, "like Sirius says, we would have noticed sooner or later –"

"I really wanted to come to Hogwarts," moaned Remus, "I swear, it's only during the full moon that I'm dangerous, you don't need to –"

"We're _not_," insisted James. He looked back at Sirius for backup, but the boy remained seated, ankles crossed. Peter glanced between the two sides nervously, trying to decide what stance to adopt. "Alright," James continued impatiently, indicating Sirius with a wave of his hand, "maybe I can't answer for the 'Noble Black' over there, but –"

"_What_?" Sirius tore across the room. He brushed his dark hair out of his grey eyes to glower at James. "Why would _I_ care if he's a werewolf? I'm in Gryffindor, damn it!"

"Took your time," said James coldly.

As James and Sirius continued to glare at each other, Peter trailed, "What... are we even arguing about?"

Remus blinked.

**...**

The following month, after Remus had left to visit his sick grandmother, James and Sirius began discussing their friend's condition.

"I wish we could do something," said James glumly.

"Like what?" Sirius' reply was barbed; he was infuriated by his own uselessness. "Doesn't matter how good a wizard you are – werewolves are too brutal. He'd get thrown out if either of us got hurt."

"Yeah," James sighed. "He wouldn't forgive himself."

Sirius leant back, absent-mindedly rocking on his chair. "What he really needs," he said, "is some company."

They were serving an Astronomy detention, their third punishment of the month. Professor McGonagall had warned severely that if such behaviour continued she would need to send owls to their parents – Sirius had visibly brightened, causing the Head of House to stare.

"Hear me out," said James slowly, "because this will sound a bit crazy."

"Uh huh."

"What if..." James swallowed, letting the silence stretch. Sirius' gaze was trained on the ceiling, so avoiding eye contact, the Quidditch player asked, "What if werewolves aren't dangerous... to animals? What if we became Animagi?"

CRASH.

Sirius was sitting on the floor.


	4. Correspondence

Chapter Four

**Correspondence**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>If ever you need me, send word."<strong>_

**...**_**  
><strong>_

Sirius Black was in the library, his quill flying fluidly over a roll of parchment. Every so often a girl would peer around a shelf to get a better look at the third year. Sirius didn't notice – he was engrossed in his work, and had gone as far as abandoning the Gryffindor common room in order to concentrate.

"Ooh," said a voice on Sirius' left, "what do you think _this_ is?"

"Maybe a love letter?" came a calm reply from the right.

Sirius glowered but did not stop writing. Honestly. He'd left the common room to _ignore_ James and Remus – why in the world did they have to follow him?

"Go and visit Peter in the hospital wing," said Sirius, without looking up. "This is important."

James and Remus stopped laughing abruptly. James looked closer and read the salutation:

_Dear Professor – _

"It IS a love letter!" gasped Remus.

Sirius sniggered. He signed his name with a flourish then leant back, sending the chair onto its hind legs. He invited his friends to read the text. James picked up the parchment, and continued aloud:

_I write in the hopes that you will forgive my misjudgement during our last Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. It was not my intention to bring harm upon any of my peers; nevertheless, I accept full responsibility for the injury that came upon my friend, Peter Pettigrew._

_I shall serve my punishment without complaint as a sign of my remorse._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Sirius Black_

A silence followed. Remus cleared his throat and said, "Wow."

"Wow what?" asked Sirius suspiciously. "Doesn't it sound 'sincere' enough? You'd better tell me now, because she wants a 'formal apology' as _well_ as the detention."

But James and Remus remained quiet, though their shoulders were shaking. Sirius prised the parchment from James' fingers – the last thing he needed was for the Chaser to hex the letter.

"It's just," said James, grinning, "I never knew you were so _posh_."

"What?"

Sirius looked from James to Remus, but the latter was nodding.

"_I write this letter in the hopes_," repeated Remus. He folded his arms and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe you'll get a career in writing notices for the Ministry?"

At this, both he and James exploded with laughter, and the three Gryffindors were thrown out of the library.

Later, Sirius pored over his work, unable to locate the source of his friends' merriment. The professor had wanted a formal letter... so that was what Sirius had scribed. What was so posh about it?

He frowned at Remus and James, who were playing Exploding Snap.

Idiots.

* * *

><p>Another update! Read the letter that Sirius sends Harry at the end of PoA and you will see the Noble Black's poshness in all its glory. Obviously, the quote for this chapter is from Sirius; the quote at the start of the last chapter was from Remus.<p> 


	5. Mischief Managed

Chapter Five

**Mischief Managed**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."<strong>_

**…**

Peter Pettigrew was trying to solve a problem.

For the past eight months, James Potter and Sirius Black had been obsessed with becoming Animagi, wizards and witches with the ability to change into animals at will. Peter had been reluctant at first – he had heard of what could happen to people when they Apparated badly, and was sure that the consequences of a transformation-gone-wrong would be equally (if not more) painful. But the two boys had continued to insist that it was a _brilliant_ idea, and when Remus waved at his friends before embarking on his usual solitary trip, Peter decided: he was going to become an Animagus. If Sirius and James could do it, why couldn't he?

At first, their progress had been remarkable – the boys had known so little about Animagi that every paragraph that even _mentioned_ the word brought a fruitful revelation. Sirius and James boasted that they would be Animagi before the summer holidays. They had wanted to keep it a secret from Remus, but as he had begun to look hurt at the conversation dying whenever he entered the room, they informed the werewolf of their surprise. To James' delight, Remus had needed very little persuasion; he anticipated their success, and was certain that, between the four Gryffindors, they could unpick the mystery.

But the months continued to pass, and their research was interrupted with homework, Quidditch, and general mischief-making. One night, James leapt from his bed to the dormitory floor, declaring that he was going to change into an animal, right there, right then. Remus wished James luck, Sirius launched a pillow and Peter watched avidly, wondering if maybe, just maybe, James possessed the formula.

James squeezed his fingers into his palms. He closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply.

A few minutes passed and nothing happened, except that James returned to bed complaining that his gut was aching.

(Sirius said it was embarrassment.)

And now they needed new material. During his last trip to Flourish and Blotts James had browsed their books on Animagi; he filled out an order form for the texts, deciding that the most convenient thing would be for the books to be delivered directly to Hogwarts. The four boys thumbed through the pages eagerly – then, one day, Remus came across a paragraph that brought Peter to a halt.

"Guys," Remus swallowed, "did you know… that Animagi don't _choose_ what they change into?"

Peter blanched, but Sirius shrugged. "Yeah," he said. "I don't see that being a problem though – it's not as if James is a walrus."

James scoffed. "I'll be a lion, obviously." He tilted his head to one side, surveying Sirius critically. "You'd make a nice seagull."

"That's unfair – we don't get any choice at _all_?" Peter didn't know his stomach was turning – he didn't have the slightest inkling of what he would (one day) transform into, so why was his mind crawling with slugs and woodlice?

Remus lowered the book from his face. "You don't have to go through with this," he said, keeping his voice even. "I know how you're all sacrificing so much of your time to try and make this work, but really –"

"– We're not abandoning you," said Sirius.

James glanced at Peter. "Look," he began, "none of us have _any_ idea what we'll become, you know? I might be a rooster and Sirius might be a stick insect… but the fact remains: werewolves aren't dangerous to animals. If we can become Animagi, it'll be the _best_. But you have to believe that we can do it, because this is about _all_ of us."

And Peter realised that they would all follow James for the rest of their lives.

**…**

"Listen up." James descended on the others during breakfast – Remus and Sirius shuffled along so that James could sit between them. He lowered his voice, peered around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping and said, "I have found _the_ book."

"Really?" asked Peter. Apprehension and excitement rose to his throat at the same time. "Have you ordered it yet?"

"If he _could_ order it," said Remus quietly, "he wouldn't have told us about the book until it was in his hands. So. Where is it?"

James smiled wryly. "Sometimes I worry that you know me too well." He reached past Remus to grab a slice of toast and started to butter one side. "Go on. Have a guess."

"Um…" Peter chewed his lip. "The library?"

"We've scoured the library hundreds of times," said Remus. "Unless there's something in the Restricted Section?"

James shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak – but Lily Evans walked past, and he promptly took a huge bite of the toast, and choked. Lily gave him a withering glance and continued on her way. Remus handed James a napkin, which the latter took gratefully.

"Even worse than that," said James, as though there hadn't been any interruption. The others kindly decided to let it go. "Think about it. Who would have a book about becoming Animagi? Try… the _Animagus_."

Remus groaned and put a palm to his forehead. "We have to get a book from _McGonagall_?"

**…**

"You do it," hissed Sirius. "Transfiguration's your best subject – just say that you want to borrow the book for extra research."

When James gave him a derisive look, the taller boy was strangely reminded of another Gryffindor. "Yeah," said James, "because that sounds _totally_ likely."

"Then… Moony had better do it."

"Moony?" Remus echoed. When the other three nodded, he smiled and continued, "The only thing is – I've never been inside Professor McGonagall's office, so why would I _know_ that she has a specific book on Animagi? She isn't exactly stupid."

"Yeah," grumbled James, kicking dust from the floor. He folded his arms and leant against the wall. "Unfortunately for us."

The boys were loitering in an empty corridor, occupied by nothing but a statue of a one-eyed witch. James was certain that the witch had some sort of secret, but he hadn't been able to find out what it _was_ yet. It was a Saturday, and those who weren't studying were outside, enjoying the warm autumn sunshine.

Peter cleared his throat. "Couldn't we use the Cloak?"

"Some of those books have extra security," Sirius explained. "I used the Cloak to explore the Restricted Section, and one of them started screaming murder as soon as I opened it."

James quirked an eyebrow. "When was this?"

"Couple of nights ago. Couldn't sleep."

"You should ask people before pilfering their possessions," grinned Remus.

"Nah," shrugged James, "you guys are welcome to my stuff." Seeing the glint in Sirius' eye, James hastened to add, "Except my wand, broom and Quidditch gloves. Those are off limits."

"Just those?"

James nodded.

"Then you won't miss – _these_."

Before James could react, his glasses had been snatched from his face, and they spent the rest of the afternoon chasing Sirius. Hogwarts rang with yells of "OI, BLACK!" and "YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME, POTTER!"

**…**

Peter's fingers were twitching as he advanced towards Professor McGonagall's desk. She was a tall woman with black hair that was always severely drawn into a tight bun; she studied Peter through her square spectacles. "Can I help you, Mr Pettigrew?"

He inhaled. The professor didn't _sound_ like she was in the mood to help anyone – but he didn't have a choice. "Uh," he began, "I was wondering… about the homework. The one about Animagi."

"Yes," replied Professor McGonagall, "strange as it may sound, I have a fair memory regarding what homework I set."

Peter flushed furiously. Why couldn't _Remus_ have had this job? Remus was far more convincing! But Peter had to try – he had (literally) pulled the short straw, so this was his _job_. "Well, Professor," he shuffled his feet, "was it hard? Becoming an Animagus?"

She blinked and tidied some of the papers on her desk. "It took a lot of studying," she said, after a pause. "But it was worthwhile. Why?"

"Uh –" Peter suddenly found himself being scrutinised by Professor McGonagall's intense scowl. "I, uh – "

The classroom door swung open. "Hurry up!" Peter swivelled to find that James was standing in the doorway, and the hairs on the back of the short boy's neck curled – he could _feel_ McGonagall's frown. "We have to get going," insisted James. "Hope he hasn't been bothering you, Professor."

He marched into the room, grabbed Peter's elbow, and marched out again.

"Idiot," said Sirius, once they were away from the classroom. "Why would you ask, 'Is it hard?' You know that this means we can't ask McGonagall _anything_ for a few years now?"

Peter began to say that he was sorry, but James waved a hand.

"We _have_ to get that book."

"Oh boy."

**…**

"So this is basically what we have to do," revised Sirius. "Phase One – get Peeves to cause enough of a ruckus that Filch wakes McGonagall. Phase Two – one of us sneaks into her office and nicks the book, replacing it with a fake. Phase Three – we learn everything we can from the book, and go through this all over again to switch the real book with the fake."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Foolproof."

"Hmm." James drummed his fingers on his knees. "There's one flaw. Peeves is hard to string along, and Filch wouldn't disturb McGonagall for _Peeves_. It'd have to be a Gryffindor – that's the only reason to call a Head of House."

"So what we need," said Sirius, "is a sacrifice."

Peter squeaked, "Someone has to get caught on _purpose_?"

"Right," said Remus. "We need a logical reason for being out and about in the first place."

"That part's easy," Sirius shrugged. "We were going to the kitchens to get food for a midnight feast."

Remus said, "Nope – you have to be brighter than _that_. If we planned on a midnight feast, we would bring all the food up beforehand."

James said, "We're being held back by our own obsessive planning. Look, why wait for night at all? How about we just go to her office when she's teaching, nick the book and run away?"

Sirius flicked the back of James' head. "The place will be swarming. Might be a _bit_ noticeable if we blast McGonagall's door in the middle of the day."

"Unless the corridor was empty?" offered Peter.

"Could use dungbombs," said James, "except Filch nearly had our heads for that last month." He groaned and stood up, beginning to pace the room. "Let's see… if we didn't have to get the book out of this, I would say that we just barge in there now and worry later."

"Alright," Sirius rose to his feet. "What time is it?"

"Nearly dinner."

Sirius went over to James' trunk, throwing out books and parchment and quills. James stopped pacing and watched. Finally, Sirius drew out the Invisibility Cloak: a silvery object that flowed like water in his hands. Though they used the Cloak more often than not, James always stowed the garment away, paranoid that it could fall into other hands. It had been in his family for generations.

"I'm going," Sirius declared, throwing the Cloak over himself. At once, his body vanished, and a disembodied voice continued, "and I won't come back until I have that book."

**…**

The coast was clear, or so Sirius hoped. He looked left, then right, and deciding that the students were ploughing through dinner, he crept towards the study door, wand in hand. It was easy to move around under the Invisibility Cloak when he was alone.

"_Alohomora_," he breathed.

He tried the handle. The door didn't budge.

Naturally. Professor McGonagall would guard her door with so much more than a simple lock. There was nothing else for it. He was going to have to wait.

**…**

"You think he'd be done by now," murmured James into his soup.

"Maybe he got held up," said Peter. "But since it's Sirius… he's probably okay."

Remus shovelled some potatoes into his mouth, gulped and said, "I'll go check. If anyone asks, I'm finishing work for Potions, alright?"

"Sure," said James. "We'll be along… as soon as we're finished with pudding."

**…**

There was no sign of Sirius outside the professor's office… but since he was under the Cloak, why would there be?

"Moony," came a low voice, "just the person I needed. McGonagall's door is protected; you have to wait till she gets here and find a way to delay her."

"Right," agreed Remus. His veins were pounding. "Look – you'll need time to switch the books anyway, so come into the office _with_ me. Then you can leave as I do."

"Good idea."

They waited in silence, not daring to pass any more conversation. Remus frowned when Mrs Norris suddenly appeared; the cat watched him for a minute, then skulked away, probably to fetch Filch.

A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall and Filch arrived – Remus, who had been sitting on the floor, stood up. Before Filch could speak, the third year began, "Professor – could I talk to you?"

She looked at him briefly before nodding, then she turned her attention to Filch. But the man was already slipping away, though Remus spied Mrs Norris sniffing the air.

Professor McGonagall opened her office door. Remus followed her inside, lingering in the gap for slightly longer than necessary. He sat opposite the woman and declined when she offered him a biscuit from a tartan box. The Professor's office was tidy, and a stack of marked essays was on one corner of her desk. "Is everything alright, Lupin?"

He fidgeted slightly. Thankfully, McGonagall's back was to her bookcase: he guessed that Sirius was studying the bottom shelf, where James had said _the_ textbook was. Apparently, it was supplied by the Ministry itself, which was why it wasn't stocked in bookshops. "You see Professor," began Remus awkwardly, "I'm – starting to run out of excuses." When Professor McGonagall nodded, he went on, "I've used family illnesses, weddings, nonexistent cousins being born… I'm worried that I'm starting to sound… ridiculous."

The Professor sighed. "Yes, I understand. I know that you dislike lying to your peers, but for your own safety, certain precautions are necessary." Remus knew that both he and Sirius stirred guiltily – if only for a moment. "It's good that Madam Pomfrey can deal with the worst of your transformation wounds, or you would be faced with too many questions."

Remus leant across the desk – but his hand fell against the essays, and they went flying to the floor.

"Sorry!" he cried. There was a great rustle – Professor McGonagall shook her head – she pointed her wand at the papers and in an instant they were back on the corner. He hoped that he'd made enough noise – he'd heard a faint _pop_, and knew that Sirius had replaced the text with a fake. Now, they were in the final stage.

Professor McGonagall checked the time, and Remus understood that as his cue to leave. He stood up slowly, chair sliding backwards – then froze: he'd come into contact with something! He did not push the chair any further, but said, "I'm sure I'll think of an idea –"

"Cite some sort of family emergency," said Professor McGonagall, "that you need to be home for. And try using your own illness, for variety. In winter you can say that there's a bout of flu."

"Right," said Remus. He slowly went to the door and held it open. "Thank you very much, Professor."

"You're welcome."

**…**

James' hazel eyes were flashing as he lifted the book aloft, like a newborn. "You guys," he said, "are the _best_."

The four Marauders cheered. Loudly.

* * *

><p>Mammoth chapter because... this was so much fun!<p>

I felt like I was skating over their early years too much, which is why I've thrown in some more stuff in the middle. As I said, this story has unpredictable chapter lengths.


	6. Practice

Chapter Six

**Practice**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>I spent too much time in detention with James…"<strong>_

**…**

Peter knew there would be trouble the moment Sirius and James sat behind him in their very first Transfiguration lesson of fourth year.

Most students would do their best to avoid getting on the wrong side of Professor McGonagall, the strict Head of Gryffindor who handed out detentions without hesitation. However, James Potter always returned to Hogwarts after the summer holidays with renewed swagger. Sirius Black was no different: during the journey on the Hogwarts Express, he would pass the occasional remark about life at home. Once the castle was in view, he promptly dropped the subject.

Remus was absent for their first lesson; it was a shame, really, thought Peter, bad timing. Remus' absence invigorated the two troublemakers: they wanted to have tales to regale him with.

The minutes ticked by. Peter wrote nervously, certain that _something_ strange was going to happen. But all James had done was express his delight at being back in McGonagall's class.

Then, fifteen minutes before the lesson was due to finish, after Professor McGonagall had reminded the group that they would spend the next two years working towards their OWLs, it happened. James' and Sirius' desks exploded.

The boys scraped their chairs backwards immediately.

"Why," began Professor McGongall grimly, "have you risen from your seats?"

James gave her a winning smile. "To take a better look at my desk. It has cow's legs, Professor."

The class were on their feet – some students were shrieking – Sirius' desk was _trotting_. After a short, bark-like laugh, he noted, "Not entirely sure what I've got here... looks like a horse, but it's a bit on the silver side."

James glanced over, intrigued. "You managed a unicorn? Nice."

The class weren't at liberty to laugh – not when Professor McGonagall looked so furious that the story later became a Gryffindor legend: the fastest detentions scored by any students. She returned the desks to normal with one fluid movement.

As they left the room, James grinned. "Alright Evans? How was your summer?"

She glowered before marching away with her troop of friends.

James shrugged.

**...**

"I can understand why she separated the two of you," sniggered Remus. "Still – detention with Filch? That's bad."

They were in the Gryffindor common room, waiting for midnight. The rest of the house had drifted away; the first few days back saw students traipsing around the castle with half-open eyes. James and Sirius were glad that Remus had officially returned to their midst. They were enjoying a midnight snack (courtesy of the Invisibility Cloak and cheerful house-elves) by the roaring fire.

Peter helped himself to a fourth sandwich. Sirius lounged back in his seat and asked, "How much of Potter do you reckon Filch will leave intact?"

"Who knows? Maybe you'll have to replace him as chief Chaser."

"Like he could!" James helped himself to treacle fudge. "I'm probably the best Chaser Hogwarts has ever seen."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "The most modest, too."

James nodded.

"It's quarter to," said Peter, eyes darting to the clock. James and Sirius sighed, said goodbye, and climbed out of the portrait hole.

They were halfway down the corridor before Sirius said, "Hold on a moment."

James paused. Sirius handed the bespectacled boy a small, square mirror.

"What's this?"

"I've got the other half," said Sirius. He smirked. "All you have to do is look at it and say my name. Then, we can talk to each other."

James grinned. Their future detentions were going to be _much_ more interesting.

* * *

><p>The quote's from Sirius, OotP.<p> 


	7. Responsibility

Chapter Seven

**Responsibility**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge."<strong>_

**...**

The September air was cool. Remus Lupin stood on the platform, a scarf draped around his throat. He watched the coils of steam that rose from the Hogwarts Express. Due to return for his fifth year at Hogwarts, he knew that at any moment –

"HEY!" Remus swerved hastily, but was still knocked by the tail of a broom. "Sorry! Didn't mean to hit you."

James Potter had grown over the summer. His head sported the usual untidy nest of hair. Remus resolved to buy James a comb, someday.

"Good to see you," said Remus warmly. He looked around; there was no sign of Peter Pettigrew or Sirius Black. "Where are your parents? I'd like to say hello."

James shrugged one shoulder. "We'll have to double back."

They worked their way through the crowd, skirting past Hufflepuffs and Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. One Slytherin stuck out his foot as the boys passed – James casually pointed his wand over his shoulder. The student was left opening and closing his mouth, a gaping goldfish.

James presented Remus to his parents. James' father nodded, noticing something gleaming on Remus' chest. "Prefect, I see." With a slight chuckle, the old man ruffled his son's hair. "Keep an eye on this one, would you?"

"Prefect?" James swivelled. He blinked. "I am _blind_." He shook his head and threw an arm around Remus' shoulder. "Congratulations! I've been waiting for something like this –"

"Don't make Remus' life difficult!" chided James' mother.

Remus fought back a smirk.

They were soon joined by Remus' father. A while after that, Peter Pettigrew ran up to the boys. The adults talked among themselves. Peter propped himself onto his tiptoes, trying to see over the heads of the chattering students. Meanwhile, James asked if Remus knew who had been appointed as the other Prefect.

"Hmm..." Remus tapped one foot and folded his arms. "I'm not entirely sure. Lily Evans seems likely."

"Evans?" repeated James. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes scouring the surrounds. Remus and Peter watched the production and, exchanging a glance, they turned away to hide their smiles.

Colour rose to James' cheeks. He averted his gaze – and grinned. He prodded his friends, announcing, "Here comes the cavalry."

Sirius Black was ambling along the platform. He was being given a wide berth by all of his relatives – there was no need to question why. Whilst the rest of the Blacks had proudly donned their elegant robes, Sirius was dressed in jeans. His t-shirt advertised some Muggle band. With a smug expression, Sirius' spied his trio of friends, descended on them and said, "Hi." He nodded at Remus' polished badge. "Excellent," he said smoothly, "about time we got a little authority."

Remus frowned. "Listen," he began heavily, "now that I'm a Prefect –"

His words were drowned by Sirius' and James' howling laughter. Sirius elbowed Remus' ribs. After a moment Peter started laughing too. Even Remus smiled.

"Time to board the train," said Sirius finally, wiping tears from his eyes. To James' annoyance, the taller boy still managed to look cool. "Those of you with families should probably bid adieu."


	8. Flashes of Bright Light

Chapter Eight

**Flashes of Bright Light**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Together?"<strong>_

**…**

"We're dead. We are actually, without a doubt, _dead_."

"Pettigrew," Sirius' voice was little above a growl; Peter twitched and swivelled to scowl at his friend. He would have been scared of the taller boy if Sirius hadn't been sporting dog ears instead of his human ones. "I suggest that you _shut up_."

James sniggered. "Don't know why you two are getting so worked up." He tried to adjust his glasses but stopped, realising that his right hand – now his right hoof – was going to crush the frames. "It's pretty funny."

"I don't think it's very funny," Peter said gloomily.

"You never do."

For years, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter had been trying to turn themselves into animals, and now that the trio were in their fifth year, Sirius and James were _certain_ that they'd almost unravelled the secret. It was a cool night. The teens had traipsed into the Forbidden Forest to practice their transformations: though they had never managed perfection, they gradually drew closer and closer. They were now familiar with their animal forms – James had the antlers of a stag, Sirius the ears of a dog and Peter the tail of a rat.

Unfortunately, they couldn't tuck the traits away.

"We could tell Pomfrey," Sirius suggested. "Say that we were hexing each other and things got – crazy."

"Nah, she won't believe that." James shrugged. "We're too smart not to know the counters. Remember Bobby Goolidge last month? Professor Jysander didn't know how to undo my hex, so he called me out of detention to take care of it."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Great. Our Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher... doesn't know how to defend against the dark arts."

James elbowed his best friend. "It wasn't a _dark_ art," he said mildly, "more like... a shadowy one."

He and Sirius exchanged a glance before simultaneously snorting.

Twigs snapped underfoot; Peter shifted his weight. He continued in a trembling voice, "But what are we going to do? James is right – we can't show Madam Pomfrey, and Remus is sick so he can't help either, and McGonagall would just murder us and –"

"– Relax," said James, "Padfoot has a plan."

"I do?"

James nodded. "You'll think of something. Prod Wormtail till something works."

(Peter didn't approve of the nickname, but he already had enough to worry about.)

Sirius paced a few metres, muttering under his breath while James gazed up at the full moon. Every so often Sirius would point his wand at Peter – then a colourful light would bounce from the end, and Peter squeaked or twitched or complained about the pain. When, after ten minutes, Peter erupted with laughter, James looked away from the sky and grinned at Sirius.

"Stop teasing – we need to _work_."

Sirius raised his palms. "Quit nagging. Your wand arm might be out of commission, Prongs, but I've seen you catch Snitches with the left. You're not _completely_ useless."

"Fine, fine." James whistled and clicked his tongue. "How about we both hit him with something? That could work."

"_No_," said Peter.

"Alright," said Sirius.

The taller boys marched until they were standing on either side of Peter. The squat teen was quivering, tail swishing from side to side. It was large, far too large – proportioned for a human instead of a rodent.

On the count of three, sparks flew from Sirius' and James' wands. Peter was hit by yellow stars from the left and green strings from the right – the spells collided in mid-air and there was a cloud of thin smoke – after a moment, they saw that Peter's tail had shrunk. Most of the fur on his face was gone.

"Interesting," Sirius noted. It was unusual that they had ever become stuck mid-transformation in the first place – now, the boys could see potential benefits to the mishap. "What was that? I hit him with…"

James and Sirius descended into technical Transfiguration. The discussion was beyond Peter's grasp. He tapped his foot a few times but remained silent. The last thing he wanted was for James and Sirius to leave him alone.

"Alright," James said eventually. "Here goes."

Once again, Peter was hit by two flashes of light – but this time they were blue-white. He felt something on his face twitching – touching his hands to his cheeks he suddenly found _skin_. He gave a delighted cry and the others hissed; Peter clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Oh, we're good." Sirius walked around Peter, nodding every now and again. "No tail, no fur – this is one for the books."

James nodded. "Moony will _love_ this."

**…**

They were at the back of Defence Against the Dark Arts, telling Remus about their escapade in hushed voices. "That's amazing," murmured the brunette, once Sirius had finished. "Could you teach me?"

"No problem," said James. His voice was a little too enthusiastic – Lily Evans turned to glower at him, and the boy ran a hand through his hair. She wrinkled her nose and twisted away. "Of course you have to learn," James muttered. "Peter didn't get the hang of it, and it's a lot slower if there's only one person behind the wand. We'll need your help."

Sirius opened his mouth. He barked.

Professor Jysander stopped talking. He looked up from the textbook and frowned at Sirius. "Is everything alright, Mr Black?" the teacher asked. Though he wouldn't admit it to the rest of the faculty, he _loathed_ disciplining James Potter's group. "That sounds like a nasty cough."

Sirius nodded. His grey eyes were stretched. He did not even have the time to scowl at Remus and James, both doubled over with silent laughter. Seizing his bag, the Gryffindor strode from the room.

"I guess," said Peter, "he's going to see Madam Pomfrey."

James roared.


	9. Consequences of the Grudge

Chapter Nine

**Consequences of the Grudge**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>But from that time on he knew what I was..."<strong>_

**…**

"Curious, Snivellus?"

Severus Snape swivelled on the spot, wand drawn. His eyes narrowed until they almost became slits. Sirius Black, a Gryffindor fifth-year who swaggered around Hogwarts as though he owned the school was leaning against the wall, arms folded, head tilted conceitedly. Black was usually followed by an entourage of stupid friends, but this evening, with the light of the full moon falling across the grass, Black was alone...

Just a few minutes ago, Snape had watched Madam Pomfrey cross the grounds accompanied by Lupin. They had travelled under the shade of a cloud, but Snape's dark eyes, accustomed to watching, had spied their forms.

"I guess," said Black shrugging lazily, "you're wondering why they're going to the Whomping Willow?"

"As if you'd tell me!" snarled the Slytherin. All the same, part of him hoped that Black would give some sort of answer.

"See for yourself," said Black. "There's a knot on the tree – your beady little eyes should spot it. All you have to do is poke the knot with a long stick."

Snape hesitated. Then, he retreated slowly. His wand remained trained on Black until the students were fifteen paces apart.

**...**

"Hey," said James breezily, joining Sirius. "What's got you in stitches?"

Sirius turned and grinned. His eyes were glinting. "Dear Snivellus was creeping around again," he said, "wondering where Moony was off to."

"And?"

Sirius nodded, indicating the Whomping Willow. "So... I told him."

All Sirius saw was that James' eyes flashed – James hissed, "You _idiot_!" Then he ran, helter-skelter, sprinting towards the Whomping Willow, not even remembering to draw the Cloak around himself.

Sirius remained where he was. He did not know why James hadn't laughed.

**...**

"Snape," James was breathing heavily, hand reaching towards the Slytherin's thin shoulder, "we have to _go _–"

"Leave it, Potter!" hissed Snape. Neither of the boys had cast the spell to summon light, and in the dark of the tunnel, Snape's voice sounded deranged – his words were followed by a deep growl and something being torn, audibly – "I _will_ – find out –"

Soon, the tunnel would begin to rise. James tried to wrench Snape backwards but the boy twisted, wriggling defiantly. "Listen," James said desperately, "you can't go near Remus right now –"

Suddenly the growling became more pronounced. The boys froze. There was a square of light above their heads.

They were almost at the Shrieking Shack.

Snape and James screamed as a snout came into view – James wrenched Snape's sleeve, forcing the boy to lose his footing – Snape fell; James leapt down, and, without exchanging a word, both raced out of the tunnel, back towards the Whomping Willow – each step that divided James from Remus brought the Chaser more relief – _but what if the werewolf had caught their scent_?

And now they were both back on the grass, illuminated by the moonlight. Sirius was staring down at them. He said, quietly, "You're alive."

Snape got to his feet. His eyes were dilated. After a moment, James rose, brushing blades of grass from his robes.

"A werewolf," breathed Snape, "I don't believe it..."

"What about it?" hissed Sirius. "You're lucky that he didn't wrench your head off –"

"Luck indeed," came a grave voice.

The three students turned. They found themselves facing Albus Dumbledore, and, creeping behind the headmaster, Peter Pettigrew.

**...**

Sirius was given a set of detentions, banned from Hogsmeade visits and told that he could no longer attend any Quidditch matches. He accepted the punishments, saying nothing.

He was troubled by James' silence.

It had been three days since the Snape incident. Moony was now back in their midst and had been filled in on the night's events. He had blanched when Peter relived the tale. Later, Remus placed a hand on James' shoulder – perhaps a sign of thanks? But the brunette gave Sirius a wary smile.

Evening after evening, Sirius stared at his fellow Gryffindors.

"James," said Sirius loudly, following their Charms lesson. James did not respond but tipped books and parchment into his bag; in his peripheral vision, Sirius saw Lily Evans turn and frown – "James," Sirius repeated, "listen, I –"

"Leave me alone," said James. He strode from the room, apparently heading towards practice.

**...**

"Enough is enough," said Sirius coolly. "Either explain why you're so angry, or –"

He faltered, realising that he did not have an ultimatum. He could not remember having a serious argument with James.

The other looked up, and Sirius was startled to see regret glazing the teen's hazel irises. "Why?" asked James. "Why would you do something so... dangerous?"

Sirius exhaled and sat down beside his best friend. They both stared out at the empty Quidditch pitch. After a while, Sirius said, "You hate Snivellus as much as I do."

"I'm not pretending that he's my favourite person."

"So?" said Sirius, shrugging. "It was just a joke –"

"A joke that could have killed him," James interrupted. "Did you even think about that at all? If Remus had seen him – if Snivellus had got in his way?"

Sirius _had_ considered the possible outcomes, but none of them had ended in a fatlity... even so, he wouldn't have admitted it for all the motorbikes in the world.

"I know what you're thinking," said James, frowning at his best friend. "But think about what it would have done to Remus... he could have ended up in Azkaban – he could have ended up _dead_. Wizards don't love werewolves."

Sirius shuddered.

"I'm... so sorry. I never meant to put you – I'm sorry James."

James sighed and lowered his hunched shoulders. "We need to stick together, Padfoot."


	10. The Snow Melts

Chapter Ten

**The Snow Melts**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>You made us feel ashamed of ourselves sometimes…"<strong>_

**…**

They were sixth years. They were invincible.

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were playing a conventional game of tag, except the game was taking place in a not-so-conventional location (the Forbidden Forest) with a group of not-so-conventional participants (a werewolf, a rat, a dog and a stag). At the moment, Prongs was the hunter. Since Wormtail was too small to keep up with the larger animals, it had been agreed that the rat would cling to the werewolf for the duration of the game, alerting the others immediately if Moony were to stray from the designated playing area.

The centaurs heard trampling hooves, the unicorns smelt feral claws and the thestrals glimpsed bright eyes. But none of the Forest's inhabitants approached the source, preferring to remain where it was safe.

Prongs met Padfoot in a clearing: the dog barked and began to bound away but was tackled into a tree by a pair of dangerous antlers. The dog straightened with what was akin to a human groan. The dog was now the predator.

The stag disappeared.

Elsewhere, the rat clung to matted fur, tail whipping in the air as the werewolf swerved and leapt and growled. The werewolf pushed its snout upwards and sniffed; it began to make its way towards dense trees – the rat pulled the werewolf's ear impatiently, remembering too well that the group had found huge spiders down that way. They knew the Forest, knew it as well as they knew the castle grounds, as well as they knew Hogsmeade. What couldn't be plotted on the Map was etched in their heads and on the back of their eyelids. Everyone, everyone in the group adored the full moon.

But the rat had allowed its attention to wander. A hut's silhouette came into view.

Wormtail panicked. Though he tugged and tugged at the werewolf and even sank his teeth into the beast's shoulder, the werewolf continued forward. The rat squeaked piteously. The four had agreed, beforehand, that if the werewolf tried to leave, it was Wormtail's duty to sound the alarm.

No, no – it was terrible. The groundskeeper would wake at any moment and would appear at the door with a crossbow and hound –

Then the werewolf and the rat were thrown to the ground. The dog straightened, a deep growl rolling from its throat. The dog barked three times, and with some effort, persuaded the werewolf to take the cover of trees once more.

**…**

Afterwards they laughed about it, as was custom. The four Marauders wandered about Hogwarts in high spirits, which was why, perhaps, James and Sirius reacted so violently when they detected that they were being followed. There was a cruel sneer of James' face as he watched Snape shuffle away, while Sirius growled, sounding remarkably like his Animagus form.

Remus felt his happiness evaporate. He watched his friends sadly – Peter was still laughing appreciatively. James and Sirius only turned once Snape had disappeared from view.

James looked at Moony, eyebrows high. "What's up?"

Remus shook his head. "Nothing," he said softly, "I need to finish this essay... I just don't think that four against one is... fair."

He walked away.

Sirius and James looked at one another. James' hand rose to the back of his head, not to ruffle his hair, but to smooth it down. Meanwhile, Sirius looked at his feet, and Peter stared.

**...**

"Hey, Evans," smiled James, "how are you?"

"Fine," answered Lily, continuing to stack her books. Her eyes flicked towards James and there was a look of annoyance on her face, as though she was sincerely hoping he wasn't about to follow her to the library. James ignored the hint, walking along with the girl.

"Heard Slughorn threw you a party," said James, filling the quiet. "Is that true?"

She shrugged. There wasn't a lot that Lily had to say to James.

He joked, "Why didn't you ask me along?"

They stopped outside the library; Lily had responded to James' question with silence. For a moment she debated inviting him to be her study partner, then dismissed the idea: James Potter and Sirius Black frustrated most of the sixth years with their natural intelligence.

He gave a casual, "Well, see you Evans," turning to leave. Lily thought she spied something unfamiliar flit across James Potter's face – disappointment?

"Hey Potter," Lily called when he was halfway down the corridor.

He turned instantly.

Lily gave a half-smile. "Congratulations on winning the Cup. You're... a really good Captain."

James remained standing where he was. He was still smiling, long after Lily had vanished.

* * *

><p>This story's slowly but surely drawing to a close.<p>

The quote for this chapter's from OotP.

Thanks for reading!


	11. Family Ties

Chapter Eleven

**Family Ties**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>They sort of adopted me as a second son…"<strong>_

**…**

He carried his wand at all times.

The snow crunched under his feet as he walked down the street. Christmas was approaching but James felt little festive cheer – few people did these days, with families losing their loved ones to Voldemort and his supporters. The very thought of Voldemort raised prickles of rage under James' skin: the boy was sickened by his own lack of power, by his inability to help the vulnerable.

He heard footsteps. A wizard in his early twenties was approaching: he had short hair and puckered skin. The teenager watched the stranger with narrowed eyes.

"James Potter," greeted the young man. His voice had a nasal quality. "Nice to see you again."

James waited. He did not recall meeting this man.

"You don't remember me?" The stranger chuckled. "What a pity... but seeing the types you affiliate with... I'm not – surprised."

James drew his wand. For a moment the boy was doubtful: he could push boundaries at Hogwarts, but performing underage magic was a serious offence. "Take that back," he said clearly.

The man's sneer intensified. He drew his own wand. "That talentless Pettigrew, that filthy half-blood, that so-called _Black_... when your own lineage is so – noble."

"There is nothing ignoble about my friends."

The wizard fired.

James ducked and the curse sailed over his shoulder – he raced towards the stranger, preparing to attack – the older wizard raised his wand once more and his mouth curcled around an ugly word...

Then James leapt backwards. The stranger was screaming. He was being tackled to the ground. A huge, bear-like dog was threatening to tear out the man's throat.

"Help!" squealed the wizard. "HELP!" His wand had flown from his hand and was lying three feet away.

The dog growled.

James looked at the dog; the dog looked at him. The boy nodded, and after another few moments of the stranger squealing and whimpering, the dog retreated. With feverish apologies, the man picked up his wand and ran away.

James turned back. The dog was gone: it had materialised into Sirius Black.

"Padfoot! What brings you here?"

Sirius massaged the back of his neck. "Your mother's worried about you. Let's head back."

**...**

"So... that's it?" asked James quietly. "You're not returning?"

Sirius shook his head. "My mother dislikes the company I keep. You're a blood traitor –"

James smiled. "That's true."

"Peter's not worth my time –"

"Huh."

"And Moony's a 'filthy half-breed'."

James came to a halt. The Potters' house was almost in view: one more curve of the street and they would be at the gate. "They're still going on with that? I used to believe that other people wouldn't care about Moony's furry little problem, but..." He shifted his weight.

Sirius sighed. "I've had enough. I am not setting foot in that place again."

James said nothing. Sirius detested Grimmauld Place and the Blacks so much that he had never invited the Marauders to visit. He always looked pained at the end of the school year.

But now that Sirius was going to live with the Potters... the Chaser grinned. Part of him wanted to invite Moony and Wormtail to join them, but with Voldemort creeping through the country, people were spending as much time as possible with their families. Hogwarts was a haven and it was easy to forget the dangers of the outside world when guarded by the castle walls, when protected by Dumbledore...

"Anyway Prongs," said Sirius, "why weren't you hexing that guy? He was about to curse you."

"Oh." James laughed. "I didn't really want to break the law."

Sirius stopped and began howling.

"It's one thing inside Hogwarts," said James, annoyed, "but it's another – look, my parents don't need Ministry letters, okay? They're _old_."

Sirius sobered at once. "I'm sure they'd rather have you in trouble than _dead_."

"I know," said James. "I'll be more careful."

As they entered through the front door, Sirius hoped that James wouldn't come under attack. The last thing Sirius wanted was for one of his best friends to die.


	12. The Shared Burden

Chapter Twelve

**The Shared Burden**

* * *

><p><em><strong>"He was taking over everywhere..."<strong>_

**...**_**  
><strong>_

The Marauders returned to their seventh year amidst a dismal mood. Five students had left Hogwarts. Their families had been attacked during the summer.

James was appointed as Head Boy, a surprise to all who knew him. Although Sirius joked that James would become boring now, distracted by his duties as Head Boy and Quidditch captain, he too expressed pride at James' appointment and celebrated by producing mountains of Honeydukes' confectionaries. Lily Evans was the new Head Girl. James began the year by shaking her hand.

Lily increasingly found herself in James Potter's company. There was something different about him... he was still brimming with confidence on the Quidditch pitch, showing off on his broomstick at every opportunity; he still made jokes in class and flourished in every lesson, though he opened the odd textbook in preparation for their N.E.W.T.s... one corner of the common room was occupied by his rowdy admirers, though James reserved time for his elite group...

Then the realisation struck Lily on a windy October morning. The Head Boy was heading to Transfiguration; he halted and redirected some confused first-years, sending them in the right direction.

James Potter could be...

_Nice_.

And it shone clearly in James' closest group of friends: Peter Pettigrew, who grew distraught at the smallest things, but whose confidence was bolstered by the trio surrounding him; Remus Lupin, who was habitually tired, and whom Lily suspected was not all that he seemed (Severus had tried to tell her a few times... Lily firmly pushed aside all thoughts of Severus Snape); and Sirius Black, who had walked out of his family home without a single regret and was now hissed at by passing groups of Slytherins.

One afternoon, James caught Lily staring at him.

He smiled.

**...**

Late November, at Professor Flitwick's hastily squeaked request, Lily Evans remained behind in the Charms classroom, tidying the cupboard. She heard people enter the room and was about to emerge when Sirius Black asked lightly, "Why here?"

Lily cringed. Black received scores of confessions. Lily was about to witness the latest one. She mentally sent her condolences to the poor girl.

Then she realised her mistake.

"I'm not sure what to say to Moony and Wormtail," said James. "I wanted to talk to you first."

Black remained silent, inviting James to continue.

"I..." James appeared to collect his resolve, because he continued without hesitation: "Voldemort's getting stronger every day. You heard about all those students... that Ravenclaw who was going to be in her third year, that Prefect in Hufflepuff – people are _dying_, Padfoot. I can't – just pretend it's not happening."

A pause. Someone began pacing across the floor – probably James. Black asked, "What's the plan?"

"I think Dumbledore has a special force that he's put together, only you have to be of age to join. Once we graduate from Hogwarts, I'm going to fight."

Black sighed. "We had to come to all the way here for _that_? I thought that was pretty obvious, Prongs."

"I anything happens to me," said James, "look after my parents. Though," James tapped a foot, "it might be better if you avoid me; I'm considered a blood traitor and –"

Smashing furniture. Lily winced and crept deeper into the cupboard, peering through the slight crack between the hinges. James Potter was lying on the floor, hand pressed against his jaw. A metre away, Black had his fists clenched. A chair had been knocked over.

"You think," snarled Black, "that I'm going to choose _them_ over my _friends_? Where have you been the last seven years?" Black's expression was contorting – James slowly stood up – "What do you take me for? You think I'll sit quietly while watching _you_ fight Voldemort?"

James scowled. "You make it sound like I don't have a chance."

"Maybe you don't," Black growled, "if you're going to underestimate Wormtail, and Moony, and _me_ – if you honestly think _we'd_ abandon _you _because we were scared – who knows how much you'd underestimate Voldemort? You idiot!"

James ran a hand through his hair. "I don't want any of you to die."

"_NONE_ OF US WANT TO DIE!"

And then Black was doing something strange – he was raising both arms, as though lifting an invisible sword. He scowled at the Head Boy, and James followed suit:

"Gryffindor," they said together, "where dwell the brave at heart."

Then Black sank into a chair, brushing hair out of his eyes.

James chuckled. "I should have known that you'd throw a fit. You really hate taking advice."

Sirius shrugged. "I'm not taking orders from some runt of a Chaser. And don't try to pull the whole Head Boy thing either," Sirius added as James opened his mouth, "you'll crash and burn."

James sat down on the desk – Lily could no longer see his face.

Sirius and James sat in silence for five minutes. Lily hoped that they would leave – then she could get out of this infernal cupboard. Dumbledore's special force... the thought tickled her bones. She should have known that their headmaster was putting together a resistance – though how the news had reached James Potter's ears was a complete mystery. He was always one step ahead...

"Hey," said Black finally, "does any of this have to do with Evans?"

James was caught off-guard. "Eh? Uh, well, Lily's Muggle-born, so... she's definitely in danger. But... we both know that she doesn't like me."

Black sighed. "You might as well try once more," he said grudgingly, "then you can die with no regrets."

James laughed. "Maybe."

Then they left.

* * *

><p>Hey everyone! Thanks for reading the story. It's almost done!<p>

The quote's from Peter, in _Prisoner of Azkaban_.


	13. Remnants

Chapter Thirteen

**Remnants**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>But I must do what I can…"<strong>_

**…**

The crescent moon cast a gloomy light on the Quidditch pitch. The stars were shining brightly, trying to spread cheer. Yet, an unspoken heaviness rested on the Marauders' hearts: beyond the walls of their beloved castle a war was raging. Countless witches, wizards and Muggles had lost their lives. Voldemort and the Death Eaters were growing stronger and stronger. Only a few days remained till the young men would become embroiled in the fight against evil.

A light breeze sifted through Peter's hair. He checked his watch. "We should probably head inside."

"Why? It's not even midnight."

They had grown accustomed to scouring the world until the early dawn; they had navigated the castle grounds for almost a decade, learning Hogwarts' secrets. They had penned a map, which was now out of their possession – they hoped that it would be recovered, someday.

"This is embarrassing," James muttered. "Wormtail's right. We've been sitting around for ages. We should at least _do_ something."

Remus laughed into his hand. "We could recap all of our achievements. Sort of like a chapter summary."

"Alright," said Sirius. He propped himself onto his elbows and rested his gaze on the moon. "Remember the Prefect who glimpsed me last year? Nearly had an accident."

"That's because you're like the Hound of the Baskervilles when you transform."

Everyone stared at Remus. "The _who_?"

"Never mind."

Scratching the back of his head, Peter said, "Uh – I guess becoming Animagi was pretty special."

"That goes without saying," agreed James. He ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Being Head Boy wasn't too bad. Kind of boring at times."

His friends snorted.

"What?"

Remus cleared his throat. "Oh, I don't know," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'd say your biggest success was getting Lily to agree to go out with you."

"_Finally_," added Peter.

The Head Boy scowled. "What do you mean by that?"

Sirius shook his head. "It only took about five years. I mean, we always knew that Evans was _deer_ to you, but –"

"_Really_, Padfoot?" James was on his feet – his wand was drawn but he was grinning. "You deserve to be hexed for jokes like that!"

A feral light entered Sirius' eyes – in another second, there was a huge dog in his place.

James shouted and jumped over the bench, transforming as he leapt; a magnificent stag touched down on the ground and began to canter away. The enormous dog followed closely, snapping at the stag's hooves. Peter laughed, though Remus murmured, "Someone might see."

It was a half-hearted chastisement. Remus almost wished that he could transform and join his friends.

The enormous dog barked once or twice. The stag was agile, changing direction at the last possible moment. After some time, Peter noticed a light in the corner of his eye. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called, "Guys – I think Hagrid's coming!"

The animals were gone in an instant. Sirius and James climbed the benches and joined their friends. "Let's move," Sirius said. "Forest's always nice at this time of year."

As the group started to shift, James glanced over his shoulder once more, surveying the six huge hoops. Over the seven years he had brought Gryffindor glory as well as shame. He still did not know why he had been appointed as Head Boy, what Dumbledore had seen to put his faith in James. Life at Hogwarts was easy, but in the wider world…

"Buck up, Prongs!"

"Enough with the jokes!"

There was no need to be afraid. He had the Marauders. He had Lily.


	14. Lock and Key

Chapter Fourteen

**Lock and Key**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>I'm to blame, I know it..."<strong>_

**...**_**  
><strong>_

James threw open the front door. His face was stretched in a wide smile. "Padfoot –"

But the greeting was lost – Sirius charged James out of the way, barrelling towards the living room. He found Lily collapsed on the sofa, fanning herself with scrap parchment. Sirius automatically made a beeline for the baby sleeping in a corner of the room: he swooped down and snatched up the child from the wooden cot.

"You've grown!" cried Sirius.

"He's all yours," Lily grumbled.

The front door slammed. James stalked into the living room, glaring at his best friend. "Hi," he said loudly. "Long time no see. I'm fine; thanks for asking."

Sirius looked up from the sleeping child, frowning at James as though noticing him for the first time. "I've got nothing to say to you," Sirius shrugged. "I only visited to see _this_ bundle of joy." He tickled Harry's chin.

Lily gave a tired laugh but James continued to scowl. Perhaps it was because he was an only child, but Lily sometimes wondered whether her husband had trouble dealing with jealousy.

Sirius looked down when Harry gave a small gurgle – the man smiled. His grey eyes shone at the sight of the baby awakening, yawning. "Hello Harry," he said gently. "You know, pretty soon, Sirius will be able to take you out for rides on his motorbike..."

"I hate it when you refer to yourself in third person," said James heavily, joining Lily on the sofa. "Honestly: take him. Waking up at three in the morning, wailing because he doesn't want to eat his breakfast –"

"– Screaming every time we try to give him a bath," continued Lily, "sparks flying every time he sneezes –"

Sirius hurled filthy looks at the couple. "Stop slandering him." He hoisted the baby onto his shoulders. Harry promptly seized handfuls of Sirius' hair for support. "Okay, hold tightly Harry, one, two…"

Realising what Sirius was about to do, Lily yelled, "STOP!"

It was too late. The man had already transformed into a bear-like dog. He was now racing around the room, Harry screaming with delight as he clung to the ample fur beneath his fingers.

The corners of James' mouth twitched.

**…**

Lily retreated upstairs, saying that she was leaving James and Sirius in charge of her son and that if a single hair on her baby's head was damaged, she would hex the pair into oblivion. James stared after his wife incredulously. Sirius laughed.

"Sometimes," growled James, "she treats me like I'm an idiot."

Sirius shook his head. "She's _always_ treated you like an idiot."

James grimaced. He rose to his feet and strolled over to the cot. His son was asleep once more, one fist curled. "He's so _tiny_," said James morosely. "You wouldn't think it when you see him sleeping, but honestly – the way he toddles around, crashing into stuff! I can't take my eyes off him for a second – _would you stop laughing_?" Sirius had thrown back his head at the father's tirade.

"You're so – I mean, wow. Wet blanket."

"Easy for you to say." James looked away from Harry and went on, "You're not the one who's under house arrest."

The room felt colder. Sirius straightened and frowned at the ceiling. "I know it's frustrating," he said quietly. "I would be furious too – it feels like you're locked up, I know. But... you have to think about Lily. You have to think about your _son_."

James fixed his gaze on the window. It was a sunny day. That was the worst part: the bright weather was deceptive. "I know," he answered. "I... feel so useless sitting at home all the time. It's like I'm just waiting – waiting for _him_ to appear."

Sirius cleared his throat. "James," he said slowly, "I don't think I should be your Secret Keeper."

James whirled on the spot. He stared at his best friend. "You don't – you don't want to –"

"No, not that!" said Sirius hastily. He stood and stuck his hands in his pockets. Inhaling, he went on, "Look. I'm the obvious choice for Secret Keeper, right? Any followers of Voldemort – any Death Eaters – they're sure to come after _me_. If your Secret Keeper is someone different, someone that Voldemort would never think of pursuing... Lily and Harry would be safe. It's perfect."

James scowled. "Yeah, apart from the bit where you die."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "I won't die so easily."

James shifted his weight. He was conflicted: part of him could see the logic of the plan, and yet... was there anyone else that he could trust with the safety of his family? "Who? Dumbledore?"

"Well, he offered," said Sirius, "but no. After me, he's the other person that they'd target."

"Moony?"

Sirius' face hardened. "I know that you still trust him, but I'm not sure that we can. Peter – Peter would be best."

James began to shake his head. Tension was gnawing his jaw. "I don't know," he said, "I'd prefer –"

Sirius crossed the room until he was standing beside James. Their gazes rested on the sleeping child.

"This isn't just about you anymore," said Sirius. "Lily – and Harry. You have to think about them too, Prongs."

"Then don't you think that I should be part of the conversation?"

The men turned. Without either of them noticing, Lily had entered the living room. Her face was drawn, tense, but her vivid green eyes darted between the pair. "I've seen happier faces." She came deeper into the room and James approached her, reaching out with one hand. "What happened?"

Over the next hour, Sirius explained his plan. The Potters took a lot of convincing, but finally, they agreed. Peter Pettigrew would be their Secret Keeper, and no one – no one else had to know.


	15. The Aftermath

Chapter Fifteen

**The Aftermath**

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>We will linger only for moments..."<strong>_

**…**

The air filled with the sound of a motorbike thundering through the sky. Sirius Black tried to focus on driving, but his mind was over-active, thinking about Pettigrew's hiding place. Why hadn't Peter been there? Doubt was prickling the rider's nerves, but Sirius couldn't –

He brought the motorbike to a rumbling stop, setting down in Godric's Hollow.

His hands shook.

"No..."

He dismounted the bike and began to walk forward. His steps were slow. His eyes ran over the broken cottage, taking it in.

There was a person lying in the hall.

No, not a person. A corpse.

James was dead.

Sirius remained where he was for some time, staring at the body of his best friend. Numbly, he continued on, leaving what had once been James behind.

Soon he was looking at Lily's shell. Her tangled hair was cast about her head, one red tendril over her throat.

That meant – Sirius wheeled and ran to Harry's cot: it was empty. The man shouted and sprinted from the cottage. He collided with something huge.

He recoiled, rubbing his head with one hand and drawing his wand with the other. His gaze fell on Rubeus Hagrid. The gigantic wizard was holding something small, swathed in blankets.

There was no need to ask what happened; he did not want to hear – "Is he... alive?" Sirius trembled as the syllables left his lips. His ribs were creaking in his chest.

Hagrid gave smallest nod. "Yeh... 'e's alive."

Sirius' skin grew pallid. He clenched his hands. Tremors ricocheted through his muscles. Hagrid held out a hand to steady him but Sirius would not be helped; Hagrid did not understand, _no one_ could ever understand –

"He's gone!" yelled Hagrid. "'E couldn' finish lil' Harry – 'e's gone, Sirius!"

Sirius breathed deeply. Hagrid's elbow had drooped. Sirius glimpsed all that remained of the Potters: their tiny little boy, Harry, sleeping peacefully. On his forehead was a scar, shaped like a lightning bolt.

The sight clawed the man back to his senses. Pale, he stared up at Hagrid, and as calmly as he could manage, began, "Give Harry to me, Hagrid. I'm his godfather. I'll look after him –"

But Hagrid shook his head. "I can'," he said. "I have express orders from Dumbledore; Harry's off ter live with his aunt and uncle."

It was Sirius' turn to shake his head. "No," he said grimly, "Lily's sister – they're Muggles, they hate magic –"

"It's Dumbledore's orders –"

"James would have wanted –"

"I know," said Hagrid heavily, "I _know_."

The continued to argue. Hagrid was privately amazed by Sirius' rationality: it was better, surely, for Harry to grow up with a wizard who could protect him, with family who could provide a stable upbringing? But the Keeper of the Keys continued to insist that Dumbledore had plans, that Dumbledore knew what he was doing.

Eventually, Sirius' shoulders sagged. He focused on Harry. He ran his hand through the boy's hair once, sighed, and then said:

"You can use my motorbike. I don't need it anymore."

Sirius Black walked away from the house, away from Lily and James, away from Hagrid, away from Harry... he turned back once, the wind dragged its nails across his handsome face, and his eyes, his eyes gleamed, as though –

And then he smiled, and he was gone.

* * *

><p>The final quote is from James.<p>

Thank you for reading.


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